Hastings Middle School, Hastings MN

Original Research by School Decision on Hastings Middle School

Hastings Middle School is a regular public school serving fifth through eighth graders in the historic Mississippi River town of Hastings, part of Dakota County and within commuting distance of the Twin Cities. The school enrolls a student body of roughly that size for a middle school, with a demographic profile that is predominantly white and includes smaller shares of Hispanic students, students identifying as two or more races, Black students, and Asian students. About a substantial share of students come from households that qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, though data on students receiving special education services or English learner support was not available in the records examined. A parent may wish to follow up with the school directly on that count.

Academically, Hastings Middle School posts its strongest results in English language arts. Across the four grade levels tested, proficiency rates are clearly higher in reading and writing than they are in math or science. In math, the share of students meeting state standards in each grade sits at a modest level, while science proficiency is notably low, especially for a middle school where those subjects typically receive significant instructional time. A parent considering this school should investigate science instruction and student support in that area. When placed alongside other schools in Dakota County, the school’s overall proficiency index lands above the midpoint among the county’s districts. That comparison set suggests that while Hastings Middle School is not at the top of the academic range in this generally well-performing county, it is performing better than many of its immediate peers. The available test data covers only a single year, so no trend lines can be drawn.

The school environment itself is shaped by the town it serves. Hastings is a county seat that grew from a 19th-century river and milling center into a suburb of the Twin Cities while preserving its small-town feel. The historic downtown, riverfront parks, a network of about thirty miles of paved trails, and landmarks such as Vermillion Falls give the community a distinct sense of place. Car dependency is high because no public bus routes serve the city, though commuter rail studies are preliminary. Housing values and rents in Hastings are at a moderate level relative to national benchmarks. The town’s population appears to have stabilized after earlier growth, and a new bridge across the Mississippi has opened in recent years. A district operating levy referendum was on the ballot for Hastings Public Schools, but the outcome was not available in the sources reviewed. Families looking to buy or rent should confirm current property tax and school funding information directly.

The middle school occupies a single campus within the city’s compact footprint. No data was available on class sizes, teacher experience, course offerings, disciplinary incidents, or chronic absenteeism. These gaps mean that a parent cannot easily assess student support structures or day-to-day school climate from this profile. For a school that covers four grade levels, the absence of information on special education and English learner populations is a notable blind spot and worth raising in conversation with the school or district office.

On balance, Hastings Middle School offers a solid but mixed academic picture. English language arts is a clear relative strength, and the school holds its own among Dakota County districts overall. Math performance is adequate but not high. Science results are a soft spot that warrants a closer look. The peer environment reflects the broader community: predominantly white, with moderate economic diversity. The town itself provides a stable, walkable downtown and river amenities, though it is car-dependent and lacks public transit. For a family already living in Hastings or looking to move to the area, this school fits a middle-of-the-road academic profile with a recognizably strong reading and writing program but room for improvement in other subjects.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 35%

even with state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 632%

School 32% · District 32%

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 736%

School 36% · District 36%

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 835%

School 35% · District 35%

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 552%

School 52% · District 52%

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 656%

School 56% · District 56%

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 745%

School 45% · District 45%

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 843%

School 43% · District 43%

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Science

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 18%

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 811%

School 11% · District 11%

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

This schoolHASTINGS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income29%Higher-income61%32 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income45%Higher-income60%16 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income32%Higher-income50%18 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income42%Higher-income43%1 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income13%Higher-income43%30 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income25%Higher-income35%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income18%Higher-income42%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income18%Higher-income41%22 pp gap